“They’ve already got their eyes on a pair of huge deals in free agency and they’re named Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap, two of the league’s top defensive linemen heading into their contract years,” Hobson wrote. “They’d like/need to get them done now and, yes, they’ll also pursue re-signing a tight end, too.”

Hobson is close to the team and well informed, so this is a bit of a spoiler for fans who hoped the Bengals would dole out major contracts in free agency.

Still, extensions would make sense, albeit be a bit risky. Dunlap, coming off a 7.5-sack season, turns 29 in February. Atkins, owner of nine or more sacks for the third season in a row, turns 30 in March.

Obviously, the Bengals won’t find better players on the market for a similar price and wrapping up both locker-room leaders helps the team focus draft assets and otherwise on other positions. Barring the unexpected, Marvin Lewis should have both of his key defensive leaders back for the long haul and mentoring young guys like Carl Lawson and Ryan Glasgow.